Full of print and design tips and news from JAK HQ…

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We can’t believe it’s March already, but spring is almost here! The weather’s getting warmer and our monthly deals are hotting up – our March monthly deal is an incredible 500 Spot UV cards for just £39.

Spot UV effects can really help your business stand out from the crowd. And because well-designed business cards are kepy 10x longer than those that don’t look as good, a card that makes an impression is more likely to stay on the desk of a customer – where they can easily find it!

To grab our incredible Spot UV card deal, simply click here to place an order. Need design help too? Just add it to your basket during check-out and we’ll be in touch.

Our New Year sale is drawing to a close – it’s due to end on the 28th February. But the JAK Print & Design team don’t agree – so to keep our printing prices super low for all our lovely customers we’ve done the only reasonable thing… And tied the boss up in the back room so we don’t have to put them up!

We need your support though – like our photo on Facebook to petition for always low print prices. Maybe if we get enough support we can convince the boss we’re right, get him to agree to the low prices and let him go. Cheap printing for everyone and no-one will need to press charges with the police.

We’re always very proud to be based in the North East of England, the people are great and there’s always lots going on. With half term coming up (and Valentines, if you fancy an art and culture day out, much more original than a set menu meal) we thought we’d share our top creative things to do in the region.

Go to an art gallery – There are so many incredible galleries on the doorstep, there’s something for everyone. If you like paintings with a little class, what about Bowes Museum? Set in breath-taking grounds, they have fine art, furniture, fashion and textiles and the infamous golden swan all on display. Modern art more your thing? Check out The Baltic in Newcastle for exhibitions from some of the biggest names on the scene, and Mima in Middlesbrough for up-and-coming names to know. If you’re taking the family, it’s worth checking online to see exactly what’s on at both, as some exhibitions aren’t suitable for smaller children.

Go back in time – Not just for the little ones, Beamish Museum (not far from our Chester-le-Street office so you can call in and say hello too!) is a fun and historical day out. It’s a rare combination! Step back in time and ride the trams and see how life used to be. And be sure to visit the sweet shop and pub too, because you deserve bonbons and a pint after learning all those history facts.

Go see some great architecture – There are some amazing sights in the North East, but too often we don’t enjoy them and write them off as touristy. We say embrace your inner tourist! For a perfect architecture day out, try Durham. The cathedral and castle are both perfect for a weekend stroll, whether you’ve got the family in tow or it’s just you and someone special.

What are your favourite things to do in the North East? Answers on a postcard – or in the comments below! Thanks :)

We are pleased to welcome our new non-executive director, Gary Lumby MBE to the JAK Print & Design team. Gary is a renowned financial and commercial industry heavyweight, and was awarded his MBE is 2008 for services to the financial industry.

He brings a wealth of experience to the role and we look forward to working with him. As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Scotland) and having previously spent over 30 years in the banking industry, Gary has a prolific track record in helping SMEs achieve their ambitions and we are delighted to welcome him into the company.

Having doubled our turnover in the last two years, we’re keen to continue to grow rapidly – with focus on job creation and world domination, as we have recently shipped as far afield as the US, Canada and Afghanistan.

With Gary on board, we’re focused on making 2013 an incredible year for JAK Print & Design. Watch this space.

For all of the latest JAK news and to follow our business development, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog. To find out more about our services, visit our website or give us a call on 01325 281210 to discuss your individual business print and design needs.

Gary Lumby MBE is currently executive director of management consultancy Focus on Success.

Whatever you do, a good business card is an essential. It’s often the only piece of promotional material you’ll leave with a new contact, and recent studies show that the better designed a business card is, the longer it’s likely to be kept by its recipient. So, how can you put together a card that’s good enough to win you business?

Here are our top five tips for awesome business cards:

Include a range of contact details – traditionally, you’re going to want to include your name, title, phone and email, but you may want to also include Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and any other applicable social networks. It’ll encourage customers to contact you via those links, and help build your network effectively.

Use both sides – don’t just let the space on the back go to waste, take the opportunity to say something about your business. Think about dedicating one side to an image or your logo, and keeping all of your text on the other, it’ll help keep the card looking neat and well presented.

Think about effects – If you think a business card is just a business card, click here to order a sample pack from us to see the range of different finishes and effects available. With hot foil, spot UV, matt or gloss features, we’ve got a huge range for you to pick from. So, what’s your brand look – shiny luxury or matt cool?

Make it readable – Maybe the most important tip here, but use contrasting, easily legible font colours and styles. Customers need to be easily able to read your details, and pick out important contact information like your phone number or email.

Play with size and shape – If you think you’d like to go outside of the traditional business card box, give us a call and we’d be happy to discuss how we can help you create something a little bit special – it’ll keep your card top of the pile.

We can also help with awesome design services, our lovely in-house graphic design team is on hand to ensure your business cards look great and do the job. Contact us for more information.

We love a good workspace, who doesn’t? A comfortable, stimulating work environment makes it a joy to arrive at the office, and builds a friendly, positive company culture. The biggest tech players like Google and Facebook have legendary offices; you can view some of the most impressive images of them here. But what about us smaller guys, who want to create an inspirational work space without the big budget or corporate freebies? Well, here are our top tips for building an office space where you and your staff can work hard and have fun.

Get your staff’s input – A workspace should be a reflection of your team as a whole, so start any office redesign with a chat about what would work, and what everyone would like to see.

Don’t forget your corporate image – After deciding what your team would like, think about how you can put your business stamp on your office too. This space will help visitors establish just who you are and what you’re about, so make sure your office represents your work as a whole.

Consider what you need – When redesigning your office, it’s easy to think about style over substance, so focus on practical needs first. Calculate how much space you need for desks, meeting areas, receptions etc and work with your requirements to make the most of the space you have available.

Get colour-conscious – Think about which colours inspire you and which make you feel calm, and how they might complement your brand. It might seem like a fun idea to paint all of the walls vivid orange, but sitting in such a bright room might give you a bit of a headache so consider a feature walls to add pop without being too overpowering.

De-clutter – a clean desk is a zen desk, and when the workload gets high, we’re all prone to letting documents pile up and chaos to ensue. To stay inspired, add lots of storage space so you can organise your stuff, keeping everything out of sight when you don’t need it and easily to and when you do.

Get some cool art – You might want to get your staff to suggest some of their favourite prints, or even create their own art to be displayed on the walls. It’s tempting to showcase work or awards only for the sake of visitors, but add some art that appeals directly to your staff and you’ll keep them inspired.

Add learning space – Key to any inspiring office is space to develop your knowledge, and it’s really easy to add. Be sure to include a bookshelf where you can build a collection of industry relevant books that staff and visitors can browse, and you could add whiteboard space for brainstorming sessions. Blackboard paint doubles as a feature wall and gives you a big creative space for staff to jot or doodle ideas, helping bring creativity to your office.

So there you go, it’s that easy. Just think outside of the box a little and you’ll be sure to create an inspirational work space that really works for you and your team.

What are your top office design tips? Let us know and share your photos in the comments below.

Happy Friday everyone! It’s been the first full week back of 2013 and we hope you had a good one!

Here at JAK Print & Design HQ we’ve had a very busy week as our already-incredible printing rates have been slashed in our January sale. You can view our top sale picks in our previous blog here, or visit our website to see the whole range.

With lots of work to keep us out of trouble the team are having a great week, and we’re pleased to report that our resident Marketing Advisor Lewis is doing well while quitting smoking. Over to him for the low-down on his progress this week…

Electronic cigarettes: much more helpful when they’re working!

It’s Day 11 of quitting and things have been harder this week if I am honest. My electronic cigarette broke so I was without that for a few days, so the addiction got to me a little, even more so being able to smell it on other people! I managed though and I am starting to feel the benefits – I was able to play football last night without been out of breath after 10 minutes. Food is starting to taste better, and I just feel healthier overall. To those who might have given up as a resolution but are lagging a little now, I’d just say don’t give in and keep going – it’s really hard for me at the moment but being able to see the benefits is making it all worthwhile. If you’re giving up, let me know what you’re finding hardest in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Whatever sector your business is in, it’s important to stand out and make a good visual impact – and here at JAK Print and Design, we’re here to help you do just that. With our highly experienced, fully qualified in-house graphic design team, we offer support every step of the way – from initial branding and logo creation to business card and document design to print.

All of our products are available with or without print services, so if you need us, we’re here to help your documents look awesome – if you don’t, we can still save you £££’s on printing.

And now even better – you can beat the January blues with our incredible price-slash printing sale across all ranges. We’ll even throw in an extra 10% off your first offer – don’t say we don’t spoil you.

Here are our top ‘business essential’ sale picks to get you started:

Business Cards – The ultimate business essential – we have a huge range of business cards available at incredible prices, with a choice of finishes, corners and quantities so whatever you need, we make it easy.

Leaflets – We can print and dispatch your leaflets in just 24 hours, so you need never run short. Again, with a wide choice of finishes and a range of quantity packages, you can pick exactly what you need from the range available.

Premium Roll Up Banner – Starting from just £61, the classic banner will help you stand out at exhibitions and events.